1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document processing apparatus which has a print binding function and can perform character editing, figure editing, and picture editing.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in word processors, when pictures, or figures are input and edited, the character editing is once interrupted, a display screen is changed, and pictures are input, or the display screen is further changed and figures are input, so that the operations are very complicated. Therefore, when a picture or a figure is pasted beside sentences, an empty space surrounded by a frame is first formed during the formation of sentences and the display screen must be switched every time, so that the switching operations are complex and it is very hard to efficiently use the apparatus.
On the other hand, in the case of displaying both characters and figures or both characters and pictures on the same display screen as mentioned above, for instance, the figure or picture can be input to the inside of the frame which has previously formed. Even so, it is difficult to edit both characters and a figure or both characters and a picture so that they overlap.
Consequently, it is entirely impossible to simultaneously display both characters and a figure, and further, a picture or form data as a background for the characters and the figure into the same region by simple operations. There are practically a number of printed documents as shown in, e.g. FIG. 2-2. However, such printed matters cannot be easily created by an ordinary word processor. Presently the making of such pamphlets, brochures, leaflets, etc. is contracted out to a special printing company or the like.
Document processing apparatus can be directed to input and edit in a realtime manner while displaying the result of a printing on the display screen {such a process is called WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)}. However, such complicated printed matters represented by those pamphlets, brochures, leaflets, etc. cannot be practically obtained while inputting and editing in a realtime manner.
As mentioned above, hitherto, since characters, figures, and images are individually processed, a proper matching among those various kinds of data cannot be derived.
Grids (dimension information) will now be described. When creating or editing characters and figures, grid measures (scale such as a measuring rule) indicative of dimension information are respectively displayed as a supporting function to determine the position and size in different areas of the characters and figures (no measure is obviously displayed in the character creating area). That is, the dimension information is substantially independently defined for characters and figures. Therefore, the dimension information cannot be displayed in consideration of the relation between the characters and the figures.
A format will now be explained. Since the definition a format of a document is conventionally effective for the whole document, even in the case of a document of a plurality of pages, when the format is once determined, this format is applied until the last page. Therefore, in the case of creating a document of a plurality of pages, the front cover (the first page) and the back front cover are first created on the basis of predetermined formats and are printed. Thereafter, a format suitable for the pages between the front and back covers is set and these pages are created and printed in accordance with this format. However, in this case, the printing operation must be performed twice. Further, much effort is needed to adjust the page numbers.
A form image 22 shown in FIG. 2-3 which is used as an image to be displayed on a plurality of pages will now be described. Hitherto, when a form image is created and displayed during the character input editing, the creating and editing of both of the characters and figures cannot be performed in the same area. Therefore, in the case of first creating the form image as a figure image, another area is newly defined out of the character input editing area which is at present being edited and, thereafter, the form image is created. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a conventional operating procedure in which the forms as mentioned above are registered and displayed on a page which is being edited. This procedure will be described hereinbelow.
First, when the operator starts the form registration, an area to create a form is defined in step 11-1 and figure data as form data is created in step 11-2. The created figure data is registered as a form in step 11-3. After completion of the form registration, the document editing is started in step 11-4. When the form registered in step 11-3 is changed or designated by the form designation during the form defining operation in step 11-5, the form is displayed on the display screen. In accordance with this procedure, the registered form is displayed.
When the created form image is once set to the document, this form image is set as a background of the document until the last page. Further, it can be designated from only the odd (first) page. Consequently, the conventional apparatus cannot satisfy a requirement to set a form image from the even page and cannot set a plurality of form images.